The State Government has begun the preparations for Kharif season 2015. The Agriculture Department had demanded from the Central Government to provide 11.25 lakh metric tonnes of various fertilisers for Kharif season 2015. After getting approval on the departmental proposal, Agriculture Minister Brijmohan Agrawal will send the proposal to the Central Government.
Agriculture Department officials informed that for Kharif season crop, 5.75 lakh metric tonnes of urea, 2.25 lakh metric tonnes of DAP, 1.55 lakh metric tonnes of NCP, 70,000 metric tonnes MOP and one lakh metric tonnes of NPK have been demanded from Central Government. Officials informed that farmers were supplied 9.48 lakh metric tonnes of fertilisers in Kharif 2014 and 9.40 lakh metric tonnes of fertilisers in Kharif 2013 as per their demands.
Meanwhile, the Chhattisgarh Government is providing free seeds and fertilisers to the tribal families holding forest right certificates in the State, officials stated. The Government had been banking heavily on production and distribution of high quality certified seeds to the farmers for improving quality of crop output in the State, they stated.
A total of 9 lakh quintals of certified seeds were produced and distributed to the farmers during 2014 in Chhattisgarh, officials informed. The aim of the State Government is to increase the production of certified seeds by 31 per cent during the next five years. In order to achieve the target ‘Akthi Beej Samvardhan Yojana’ was launched earlier in 2009-10, to encourage farmers to produce certified seeds, they stated. The Agriculture Department officials said that subsidy of Rs500 per quintal is given to farmers who produce certified seeds.
They said that an increase of 15 to 20 per cent output of crops if certified seeds are used instead of ordinary seeds. The scheme was launched to encourage the farmers to produce certified seeds. ‘Akthi Beej Samvardhan Yojana’ was launched in 2009-10. In the current year, subsidy will be given for paddy, ragi and wheat certified seeds. In 2009-10 , the initial year, 1.56 lakh quintal of certified seeds of paddy was produced. About 93,992 quintal seeds were distributed to the farmers.
In 2013-14 , about 6.8 lakh quintal certified seeds of paddy were produced and 2.19 lakh quintal certified seeds were distributed to the farmers. There was an increase in 288 per cent in production of certified seeds and 134 per cent increase in certified seeds distribution to the farmers during the past five years. The target is to produce 10.8 lakh quintal certified seeds in 2015-16, 11.15 lakh quintal in 2016-17, 11.95 lakh quintal in 2017-18, 13 lakh quintal certified seeds in 2018-19.